Envelope for Collecting Papers

 

After handwriting a heading on a piece of paper and taping it on to a manila envelope for several years, I realized there were a limited number of types of things I would collect each year: sign-up sheets, permission slips, Solo/Ensemble registrations, composition assignments.  I decided to type up headings, laminate them, and attach Velcro dots to them and the envelope.  It looks a lot nicer than before, and the sheets can be reused each year.  Since they're laminated, I can also use a dry-erase marker to write a due date and then erase it afterwards.  The envelope is also Velcro-ed to the wall, so I can remove it when there aren't any papers needing to be turned in.

"Please turn in" signs 

• Word document
• PDF

Labels for Equipment and Instrument Racks

 

For our district-wide annual String Fest, we hire movers to transport chair and stand racks as well as cello and bass racks from the elementary schools to the high school's field house.  We want everything to end up racked up properly and returned to the proper school afterwards, so we are careful to label everything clearly.  I like to color code everything by school and add a picture of the school's mascot too.  I laminate the labels and then just use masking tape to affix to both the back and front of racks.

• Template for labels for chair/stand racks

Take Part In A Musical Year! Bulletin Board

For this fall, I played on the words "take part" as an opportunity to display instrument and bow parts.  I don't mind puns when I can use them as a learning opportunity :)  And a special thanks to my mom who came up with the phrase...I knew I wanted to do something with instrument parts, but couldn't think of a good back-to-school phrase.

My mom and I used the overhead projector to trace the instruments onto poster board, and then I outlined them in permanent marker and filled them in with water colors.  On the bulletin board itself, I stapled black yarn to connect each instrument part to its label.  I really like how this one turned out!  Now as students in all grade levels are walking to and from music class, they might pick up a few new vocabulary words and have a greater appreciation for all that orchestra students are learning about next door in orchestra.

• List of instrument parts (Google doc)

Now Playing Signs

Since I have such limited time with my students, I want to make the most of any opportunity to create a musical experience for them.  One such opportunity presents itself when students stop in the orchestra room before school to drop off their instruments and again at the end of the day when students pick them up to take home.  I try to always have music playing during these times to expose students to music of different composers and styles.  On the CD player cabinet, I have a magnetic sign that says "Now playing music by" along with the composer's name so students have an idea of what they're hearing as they walk by.  I tend to stick with the same composer for a week or two before switching it up.  This would also work for a composer-of-the-month theme or as a way to indicate what is being played as background music during in-class writing activities.

I had been using taped-on, hand-written labels, but this summer I had a lot of fun playing around with different fonts and color combinations with my mom's Cricut for these signs:

  

 

Looking forward to trying these out in the fall!

Storage Bins

I keep my supplies clearly labeled so students can easily find what they're looking for and put it back where it belongs.  I have containers for:

• Pencils
• Rock stops
• Rosin
• Tubes (to help with beginning bow holds)
• Cloths
• Shoulder rests
• Strings
• Miscellaneous supplies